Recent News

IRONMAN Magazine

A Lifetime of success defines defines the life of "the Legend Larry Scott." His historical accomplishments in the body bulding word have been fueled by pure passion. on top of larry's 6 titles, he is also the recipient of two different Lifetime Achievement Awards. One from national Fitness Trade Journal in 2006, and the other from Jarka’s Gym at the Pro World Masters in 2011.

From One Legend to Another

My Mentor, My Friend

I was saddened by the news that my dear friend Larry Scott passed away this March. Larry was a wonderful guy; always smiling, always complimentary, and always the consummate gentleman. But Larry also had a huge impact on me politically—one so profound that it would inform my policymaking when I served as California’s governor.

Larry Scott had been a hero to me since I started lifting weights back in the early 1960’s. Along with guys like Reg Park, Steve Reeves, and Bill Pearl, Larry represented the very best of bodybuilding at the time, and he stood as an example of what I hoped to become. I first got the chance to meet Larry when he guest posed at the 1966 Mr. Europe competition, held in Germany. Originally I had seriously questioned whether I even wanted to compete, since I’d already placed second in the Mr. Universe contest. But when I heard Larry would be there I knew I had to make the pilgrimage; I had to meet him. After I won he came out, and the place absolutely erupted. There was no question: he was a superstar, yet he couldn’t have been more gracious or friendlier to the lumbering young contest winner who greeted him in severely broken English.

When Joe Weider brought me to America in late 1968 my first thought was that I wanted to train where the great Larry Scott trained, which was Vince Gironda’s gym in Studio City, in the San Fernando Valley area of Los Angeles. Larry had retired from competitive bodybuilding by that point (he would make a brief comeback in 1979) but would still frequent Vince’s, and so I got to know him during my earliest days on American soil.

Just as when we’d met two years earlier in Germany, Larry was warm and friendly, and in time he would become a mentor. He was a treasure trove of invaluable training and nutrition information and I cherished the opportunity to train with him whenever I could. Yet for as much as Larry had influenced me in terms of training and nutrition, his biggest impact had nothing to do with bodybuilding at all.

When I met Larry he was selling insurance, and he was the first person to explain to me the importance of having coverage as a resident of the United States. I was used to the Austrian system, where everyone had health coverage. At the time Joe Weider only paid me $60 per week, though, so I wasn’t sure I could afford insurance. However, Larry found a plan that cost just $23.40 a month, so I went for it. He also convinced me of the importance of having disability insurance: My profession was my body, and if anything happened to it I’d have no income. So, I bucked up for an additional $5 a month for disability insurance. I wasn’t sure I’d ever need any of it, but the knowledge that I had it gave me comfort.

In 1972 Larry Scott’s guidance paid dividends. In South Africa, during a guest posing appearance, the stage fell apart and I went down, tearing a ligament in my left knee. In November of that year I had surgery to repair the damage, which was, thankfully, covered by my insurance plan. Moreover, because I was unable to do the posing appearances that were part of my income at the time, my disability insurance kicked in. I didn’t even have to fight for it. Larry Scott had saved me from going broke!

When I became Governor of California and pushed for healthcare reform to cover everyone, people said, “You’re a Republican. Why are you interested in this?”

I didn’t think of it as a Democrat or Republican issue. Between my Austrian upbringing and Larry’s quick intervention when I arrived in America, health insurance has always been a no-brainer for me.

All of this is to say that Larry Scott has had a major effect on my life and on my way of thinking in profound ways, and that without his friendship and guidance I wouldn’t be the man I am today. I miss you, Larry.

LARRY SCOTT “THE LEGEND”

A Lifetime of success defines defines the life of "the Legend Larry Scott." His historical accomplishments in the body bulding word have been fueled by pure passion. on top of larry's 6 titles, he is also the recipient of two different Lifetime Achievement Awards. One from national Fitness Trade Journal in 2006, and the other from Jarka’s Gym at the Pro World Masters in 2011.

Background

Scott began training at age 16 and, by age 20, won the Mr. Idaho competition in 1959. After moving to California, he promptly won Mr. California (1960), Mr. Pacific Coast (1961), Mr. America (1962), and Mr. Universe (1964). WhenJoe Weider created the IFBB'sMr. Olympiatitle, Scott won the first two contests in 1965 and 1966. Although Scott retired after his 1966 Olympia win, he staged a brief comeback in 1979 before retiring from competition for good in 1980. He studied electronics at the California Air College, and was known to be a devoutMormon.He was married to Rachel Ichikawa.

History

Prior to claiming his back-to-back Olympia titles (bestingHarold "Damian" Pooleon both occasions), Scott took Mr. America in 1962 and Mr. Universe in 1964. He also had a minor role in the 1964 movieMuscle Beach Party.However, Scott is said to have possessed little apparent genetic potential when he started training with weights in 1956, his narrow shoulders having been a particular weak spot. He trained withVince Gironda, another well-known bodybuilder of the time, and became best known for his arm development, particularly his impressive and unusually long biceps, which allowed for good development and shape. He attributed his football-shaped biceps to an exercise called the "Preacher Curl," invented by Gironda, which became part of the standard repertoire among many bodybuilders. The Preacher Curl is often called the Scott Curl, due to its association with Scott.

Scott was also a popular physique model during the early to mid-1960s, working for such famous photographers asBruce of Los Angelesand Don Whitman (of the Western Photography Guild). His "posing strap" material for Pat Milo is considered fine art. It was Milo who introduced Scott to a wide, appreciative audience and helped him hone his posing and photographic persona: that of the "boy next door." Larry regularly appeared in all ofJoe Weider's bodybuilding magazines, includingMr. AmericaandMuscle Builder,and he also figured prominently inDemi Gods,Muscleboy,Muscles a Go-Go andThe Young Physique.

From 1960 until his first retirement from competition in 1966, Scott was bodybuilding's top superstar. Bodybuilding magazines soon began capitalizing on his clean-cut, all-American image, but Larry -- an IFBB athlete -- wrote exclusively for Joe Weider's publications. Larry's popularity completely eclipsed all other bodybuilders of his time, including such famous personalities asFreddy Ortiz,Chuck Sipes,Dave Draper,Leo Robert,Harold Poole, andSergio Oliva. The phenomenon has since become known as "Larry Fever" and reached its apex at the first Mr. Olympia competition in 1965. Scott won against Harold Poole and made history. His prize was a red, "jewel"-encrusted crown. One year later, Scott defended his title and received $1,000 as a prize, but no crown.

Scott's first retirement at the age of 28 sent shock waves throughout the sport. But Scott had other priorities, and after two Olympia wins, he felt he had done all he could do in competitive bodybuilding.

Rod Labbe, a freelance writer and fan of Scott's, collaborated with Scott on four articles: a two-part interview inFlexmagazine, two articles inIronman,and an article inMuscleMag International. According to Labbe, "Larry [was] my childhood hero, a true American success story. He came from nothing and reached the top as a Bodybuilder. It's an honor for me to work with him." Their last interview, entitled "The Golden Man," appeared in two consecutive issues ofIronmanmagazine in 2006. Before Scott's illness, he and Labbe collaborated on a new article for Films of the Golden Age magazine aboutAmerican International'sMuscle Beach Party(released in 1964), in which Scott played the role of "Rock," a bodybuilder who was part of "Jack Fanny's" (Don Rickles) exercise group (Scott's character name is listed incorrectly on theInternet Movie Databaseas "Riff" -- the shirts he wears in the film all read "Rock").

Scott lived his latter years inSalt Lake City, Utahwhere he ran his personal training company, and manufactured and sold eponymous custom-made gym equipment and health supplements.He was inducted into theIFBB Hall of Famein 1999.

Death

On March 8, 2014, Scott died of complications fromAlzheimer's diseaseinSalt Lake City, Utah. He was 75 years old.